Overpowered Archmage Doesn’t Hide His Talent

Chapter 238 Symphony

“….”

The tension that Viola had almost completely forgotten about began to slowly rise. Watching something unexpected unfold was never a pleasant feeling.

Even though she never wanted to admit it, acknowledging the situation was necessary to adapt quickly.

“Hoo….”

Viola swung her sword calmly once again.

The movements flowed naturally like the melody of music, but each strike was lethally precise, aimed at Flan.

Forte.

A technique to play the notes on the score strongly.

Each time Viola swung her sword, a trajectory began to appear in the air. One line of the score emerged, then another, and another.

The numerous trajectories, enough to form a complete movement, pressed down on Flan in a single moment.

No, they should have pressed down on him.

“…!”

An incomprehensible event began to unfold once more.

Flan neither tried to deflect nor dodge Viola’s sword strikes. He simply blinked once and then took a step closer to Viola.

‘No, he did dodge!’

His movement was so natural that it didn’t even seem like he was avoiding an attack. He looked like someone walking on flat ground where nothing was happening.

Snap─!

When Flan snapped his fingers, everything changed.

Kaang! Kang!

Of course, Flan hadn’t swung his sword. However, when he snapped his fingers, the trajectories of the scores tangled and began to collide with each other.

Bang! Bang!

A terrible noise, which could only be described as cacophony, filled the arena. The spectators all grimaced and covered their ears. Some even started bleeding from their ears.

Snap─!

Flan snapped his fingers once more.

Then, as if tearing sheet music, the trajectories left in the air became shabby.

In the end, Viola’s attack yielded no meaningful results, and Flan, the one who made it so, dusted off his shoulder.

‘What the…’

No matter how skilled she was, Viola couldn’t help but be filled with thoughts at this moment.

Of course, her trump card hadn’t been blocked. However, even if it was just a regular strike, such a situation was problematic.

This was because Flan had blocked it effortlessly.

‘He must have a trump card as well.’

It was an excellent display of basic skills, so much so that it was hard to explain.

Viola scrutinized Flan’s appearance in detail. Watching Flan tidy up his clothes as if nothing had happened, she couldn’t help but feel a bit of admiration.

“…Viola.”

The voice calling her name pulled Viola out of her deep thoughts. Their gazes met in mid-air, and Flan, who had finished tidying up his clothes, spoke.

“Just once more.”

“…?”

It was such an abrupt statement that Viola couldn’t respond. But soon, she could somehow predict what Flan was about to say.

“If your next attack is the same, I’ll kill you immediately.”

And Flan said exactly what she had expected.

After a moment, Viola’s body trembled slightly. No matter how composed she was, it was hard to maintain her calm.

If her next attack was the same, he would kill her immediately.

This meant he was confident he could defend against any attack of that level, and that he could kill Viola whenever he wanted.

So, in other words….

‘Are you saying you were holding back against me?’

“Ha, haha, hahahaha….”

She let out a breath, which quickly turned into a chuckle. It was an utterly absurd situation that Viola had never experienced in her life.

And if Flan’s words were true, then Viola had just suffered the greatest insult.

“I remember now. Why I hate magicians.”

“You’ll hate them even more now. Or maybe….”

Flan chuckled.

“You might come to respect them.”

It felt like the threads holding her thoughts together were snapping.

The honor of the Capital Knights, the blueprint for becoming a hero…. Many things began to blur, and her thoughts multiplied, focusing solely on the person in front of her.

Fortunately, the sword in her hand was crafted by a top-tier blacksmith. Otherwise, it would have surely snapped under Viola’s grip.

“How dare you….”

Viola’s body shook with rage.

“How dare you be so arrogant in front of me─!”

Viola, now exuding an enormous killing intent incomparable to before, stomped the ground.

Flan’s face showed satisfaction only after confirming her different footwork and movements.

“That’s… !”

“That’s it!”

There was an immediate reaction from the spectators.

Everyone widened their eyes at the killing intent that seemed to lift the entire arena. Their bodies trembled naturally.

How intense must one’s desire to kill be to exude such murderous intent?

Even without hearing Viola and Flan’s conversation, everyone could easily understand. This duel would now only end with one of them dead.

Kwaaang!

When Viola’s sword struck the ground, countless fragments scattered in all directions.

Ssss!

And the fragments that shot into the air were sliced into cube pieces. In the next moment, they were cut into dust so fine they were almost unrecognizable.

It was a killing intent so intense it almost seemed to carry the scent of blood, and her swordsmanship was superb.

Everyone had the same thought.

This is what it means to be a hero.

To ascend to the hero’s position, you need to fight at this level.

Fortissimo.

Stronger than forte. But even with enhanced sword power, the attack did not land.

Wham!

Countless invisible arms appeared, grabbing Viola’s arms. In the air, their gazes met, and Viola’s eyes burned with rage.

“In the end, knights are all the same.”

“Shut up!”

With pure strength, Viola shook off all of Flan’s magic hands. But as if he had been waiting for that moment, Flan fired a magic bullet.

“The title of hero is wasted.”

“What do you know!”

Chapter 238 Symphony (continued)

Ssssh─!

The magic bullet was cleanly split in half. The bisected bullet passed by Viola and exploded a moment later to the left and right.

Watching this spectacle, even breathing became difficult for the onlookers.

“Uh….”

Becky uttered something, though it was unclear if it was an expression of admiration or fear.

She had thought that a match between such renowned figures might display a refined and dignified level of combat.

Of course, there was indeed a sense of dignity, but….

“Ugh….”

Becky unconsciously rubbed her arms. What was unfolding before her eyes was a brutal scene where both parties were desperately trying to sever each other’s lifelines.

Whoosh─!

The tip of Viola’s sword aimed for Flan’s vital points every time.

Bang! Bang! Boom!

Each clash of their blows was powerful, yet immediately followed by the next.

Screeeech─!

Then, Viola’s sword cut through something strange.

The sound of birds, water, footsteps, someone calling out to him…. All kinds of sounds suddenly flooded into Flan’s ears.

It wasn’t just a sensation of sounds playing.

It felt as if someone was actually walking behind him, someone was calling him, and attacks were coming from somewhere, all vividly real.

An ordinary person would have surely fallen into confusion.

But once again, Flan was anything but ordinary.

Flan boldly abandoned his sense of hearing, one of his many auxiliary senses. Meanwhile, something like ultrasonic waves emitted by Viola’s sword tore the edge of Flan’s clothes.

Viola murmured something toward Flan. Temporarily having shut off his hearing, Flan read her lips.

This is the last time.

That’s what Viola said.

As she closed and opened her eyes, the treble clef once imprinted on her retina had transformed into another symbol.

Flan recognized it as well, it was a repeat sign.

“…It’s a repeat sign!”

One of the guard knights shouted.

If a sword swing ended with one strike, Viola’s repeat sign shattered that concept completely.

One swing carried the effect of infinite swings. It was an art and an ability unimaginable to ordinary knights.

Rumble─!

The sword imbued with immense energy was finally swung.

Flan took a small step back.

Viola continued her fierce attack. Within the repeat sign, there was no need to reset her stance after a swing.

It was just continuous swings, one after another. Viola only needed to think, and the sword would swing in every direction.

Like an orchestra with numerous instruments harmonizing, various different sword techniques formed a single melody, aiming at Flan’s neck like a thunderbolt.

Watching that sequence of the 『Symphony』.

“…Not bad.”

Flan muttered briefly.